It was far past sunset and we were traveling to our B&B in the round mountains of Guilin, China. It was too late to be traversing the Li River legally, but that didn’t stop the confident driver of a small, motorized bamboo raft. We had seen the hump-shaped mountains on the dusky drive from the airport. Having just been wowed…
If you ever wanted to live inside a Maxfield Parrish painting, then book the next flight to China. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is simply one of the most ethereal places on Earth. These staggering karst spires inspired the film “Avatar” and you have to see them in person to see…
I’ve traveled throughout Asia, but China is its own beast. Having just spent 2.5 weeks in China, I compiled a list of the most important travel tips for smooth travel. See photos of China’s “Avatar” Mountain and posts about Shanghai and Guilin, as well as a travel film. Visa Required Don’t even think about getting…
Films often inspire my travels. I saw “Avatar” when it came out in 2009. Despite the obvious inspiration in the film, that wasn’t what moved me to visit China’s floating spires at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It was actually another film, a documentary, about BASE jumpers. BASE jumpers are those crazy people in squirrel suits who…
Tucked away on a narrow hillside road is the charming No. 5 Valley B&B in Yangjiajie, China. The B&B is just 2 km from the breathtaking national park that inspired the movie “Avatar” with its mystical mountains. No. 5 Valley was constructed in July 2015 and is the B&B for R&R — a rural idyllic…
It’s not every day you see a man lying face down in a ditch with blood trickling down his head. Next to him an old woman wailed in despair. Three or four men crowded around but didn’t touch the man whom I could see was still breathing. We were being driven in a car past…
Golden Hour is the 60 minutes or so before the sun sets. The soft low light is ultra flattering on the face and skin looks great with a golden hue. Get your subject to face the setting sun, which helps brighten the skin and eyes (and the model will thank you for not shooting in harsh, mid-day sun). Bring…
Now that you’ve seen the trailer for my film, “American Soil, Chamorro Soul,“ I want to give you a behind-the-scenes tour of the production. Despite the fact that as a producer and director, I’m doing just about everything, I love working with a small cast and crew. As you will see, we’re also shooting without a…
Watch on Vimeo #ChamorroFilm I’ve spent the last six months writing, fundraising, casting, hiring, shooting, editing, and promoting “American Soil, Chamorro Soul.” It’s been one of the biggest learning experiences of my life because, as you may know, this is my first documentary film. Thank you to the following sponsors for making this possible: Docomo…
Pretty much the most touristy thing you can do in Iceland, Blue Lagoon is still a must-experience stop. The lagoon is tucked into a part of town that looks positively post-Apocalyptic with piles of black volcanic rubble. The drive out there is a bit spooky, but you didn’t come to Iceland to see anything banal,…
